Safety shield



March 4, 1958' s. DE MAMBRo ET AL I 2,825,268

SAFETY SHIELD Filed July 23, 1954 X IN V EN TORS G ave De MAMBRO BY KIA/rHq/w M DE'M4MBPO SAFETY SHIELD Application July 23, 1954, Serial No. 445,312 2 Claims. 01. 90-11 This invention relates to an adjustable eye and body shield for association withmetal cutting machines. It is used by machine operators for their protection from the metal chips which commonly fly up from the work as it is being cut.

The problem of protecting the eyes and body of a machine operator from flying metal chips has, of course, been recognized previously and various attempts at solving the problem have been suggested. One expedient which has been suggested involves equipping each operator with a pair of safety glasses. While safety glasses have in many situations been successfully employed there are certain disadvantages connected with their use. People generally do .not like to wear glasses and machine operators in many cases will not wear the safety glasses which have been provided. If the glasses are worn by the operator they, of course, must be taken off at such times as the operator is not engaged in running the cutting machine, or if the glasses are worn at such times their inconvenience and annoyance to the operator will be undesirably present.

Considering the effectiveness of safety glasses in fulfilling their intended function, it will be appreciated that since the glasses are spaced from the eye proper by reason of their mounting on the person of the user, an unavoidable space is provided between the eyes and glasses through which eye-damaging metal chips may pass. Of course, safety glasses provide no protection to the face and neck of the machine operator, so that in many cases the use of safety glasses as a solution for the problem of body protection from flying metal chips is unsatisfactory.

The present inventor has devised a solution to the above discussed problem which is based on a realization that movement of the flying chips toward the machine operator can be most effectively prevented by positioning the shielding element directly on the cutting machine near the source of the chips. I By so positioning the shielding element it is possible to deflect or capture the chips before they have had a chance to fan out in their movements toward the machine operator.

It was appreciated by the present inventor that the shielding element could not be positioned in such locations that it would interfere with the machine operators being able to gauge the work or to manipulate the various cranks and handles which he must move in order to control the cutting operation. It was attempted, therefore, to design the shielding element so that it could be moved [United States Patent alteration or modification of the cutting machine to effect installation of the shielding element thereon.

With reference to the elements and mechanisms which are employed to achieve a shielding device having the aforementioned desirable characteristics, the invention in its briefest aspects comprehends a mounting member having formed therein a permanent magnet for easy installation of the shielding device on any desired cutting machine. A spherical projection is formed on the mounting member and serves to rotatably receive one end of an arm member. The other end of the arm member swivelly receives a circular swivel element, to which is detachably secured a transparent shielding'element. The arrangement of parts is such that the arm member and shielding element can be turned as a unit around the center of the spherical projection, and the shielding element can be turned around the longitudinal axis of the arm in accordance with clearance demands between the work and shield. The provision of a detachable connection between the circular element and shielding element permits the replacement of damaged or otherwise unusuable shielding elements without dis-carding usable mounting members, arm members or swivel elements.

In the drawings: I

Fig. l is a cross sectional view of one embodiment of r the invention wherein the mounting member has a horse shoe magnet embedded therein, the arm member includes two sleeve elements, and the swivel element takes the shape of a conical frustum.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the embodiment shown in Fig. l but showing a transparent shielding element detoward and away from the cutting tool as the clearance demands between the work and shielding element would require. In this way a shielding mechanism would be provided which would not only effectively perform the shielding function but which would also permit normal operation of the cutting machine.

It was also realizedv that if the shielding element was to be most useful to the machinist it should be capable of easy placement on any type of cutting machine. It was attempted, therefore, to provide a mounting mechanism for the shielding element which would require no tachably mounted on the exposed end of the swivel element.

Before explaining the present invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a mounting member 10 having embedded therein a permanent horseshoe magnet 11. The mounting member is formed of hard rubber and the magnet is embedded therein by molding the mounting member around the magnet.

There is formed on the upper end of member 10 a spherical or ball-shaped projection 12. Received on projection 12 are two zinc sleeve members 13 and 14 having spherical recesses 1'5 and 16 therein for adapting said sleeves to the spherical contour of projection 12. It will be appreciated that sleeves 13 and 14 may be rotated in any direction around the geometrical center of projection 12.

Sleeve 13 and 14 are held in their desired positions by means of a screw 17 and nut 18. If desired nut 18 may be omitted and bore 19 threaded to receive screw 17. By turning screw 17 relative to nut 18 the distance between sleeve members 13 and 14 can be varied, and the frictional pressure which said members exert on the face of projection 12 can be correspondingly varied.

Sleeves 13 and 14 are each provided with an arcuate recess 20, Within which is received an aluminum swivel member 21. The swivel member is formed in the shape of a conical frustum, the arcuate surface 22 of which slidably engages the arcuate surfaces of recesses 20. The shape of the swivel member prevents it from dropping-or otherwise movingout of the space between recesses 20.

A bore 23 extends axially through swivel member 21 and loosely receives a bolt 24 which carries a friction Patented Mar.'4, s

washer ,25 adjacent the end thereof. Between washer 25nd the exposed face 26 of swivel member 21, there is positioned a transparent shield element 27, preferably made of zPlexiglas. A nut 30is provided on bolt 24 for fastening shield 27 in place. If desired nut'30 may be omitted and bore 23 threadedto receive bolt '24. Bolt 24 and nut 30 form a detachable connection between shield element 27 and swivel member 21. Such a connection permits the replacement of damaged shield elements without discarding usable mounting members, sleeve members or swivel members.

Shielding devices constructed according to this invention may be used with various cutting machines, among which may be mentioned grinders, planers, lathes, shapers, millers, saws and boring mills.

The adjustability provided by spherical projection .12,

and swivel element 21 permits .the, positioning of shielding element27 in close proximity to the source of flying chips without interfering .with normal operation of the associatedcutting machine. During thecutting operation transparent shielding element 27 can be positioned closely adjacent the work. Whenitis desired to gauge or remove the work it is buta simple matter to move element 27 away therefrom. Magnet 11 permits place ment of the shielding device on any type of cutting machine without alteration or modification of the cutting machine. Should the adjustability provided by spherical projection 12 and swivel element 21 not permit the proper positioning of shielding element 27, the portability provided by magnet 11 permits quick relocationof the shieldingdevice to a more desirable position.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A shield comprising; a hard rubber mounting block having embedded therein a permanent magnet, andhaving a spherical projection extended therefrom in a direction away from the exposed faces of the magnet; an arm rotatably secured on said spherical projection and comprising a pair of facing sleeve members, each having an arcuate recess therein of the same contour as the contour of said spherical projection; screw means extending between said sleeve members for releasably securing them in position on the spherical projection and varying the frictional force which the members exert against said projection; a swivel member shaped as a conical frustum.

and swivelly mounted between the opposed faces of said sleeve members; a transparent, shield-forming sheet .in facial engagement with the smaller fiat face of said swivel member; and screw means extending through said sheet and swivel member for releasably securing said sheet and swivel member together.

2. An adjustable eye and body shield for association with metal cutting machines comprising; a mounting block having a spherical projection extended therefrom; an arm ,rotatably securedon said spherical projection and comprising a pair of facing sleeve members, each having an arcuate recess therein for slidably receiving said spherical projection; screw means extending between said sleeve members for releasably securing them in position on the spherical projection and varying the frictional force which the members exert against said spherical projection; a swivel member shaped as a conical frustum and swivelly mounted between arcuate surfaces formed on the opposed faces of .said sleeve members; a transparent, shield-forming sheet infacial engagement with the smaller flat face of said swivel member; and screw means extending through said sheet into said swivel memher for releasably securing said sheet and swivel member together; whereby the arm and transparent sheet can be rotated as a unit around the center of the spherical projection, and the transparent sheet can be rotated around the longitudinal axis of the arm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 549,731 Lantau Nov. 12, 1895 737,755 Marceau Sept. 1, 1903 745,494 Hoagland Dec. 1, 1903 973,558 Pierce Oct. 25, 1910 1,217,838 Schmidt Feb. 27, 1917 1,259,050 Scofield et a1. Mar. 12, 1918 1,544,244 Lehmann et al. June 30, 1925 1,831,086 Zerk Nov. 10, 1931 1,932,143 Piercy Oct. 24, 1933 2,173,772 Timmons Sept. 19, 1939 2,401,056 Dilley May 28, 1946 2,456,383 Collins Dec. 14, 1948 2,491,957 Dilley Dec. 20, 1949 2,726,575 Koonter Dec. 12, 1955 

